State Department of Natural Resources officials today announced the final report of the Michigan Wolf Management Roundtable, entitled "Recommended Guiding Principles for Wolf Management in Michigan," is available online at
www.michigan.gov/dnr. The DNR convened the Michigan Wolf Management Roundtable as part of its efforts to develop a wolf management plan that is acceptable to the diverse interests of Michigan citizens once the species is removed from the federal list of threatened and endangered species. Roundtable membership included 20 agencies and organizations, which represented environmental and ecological interests, hunting and trapping interests, livestock-producer interests, public safety interests, tourism and resource development interests, tribes, and wolf protection interests.
In its report, the roundtable offers recommendations pertaining to wolf distribution and abundance, benefits of wolves, management of wolf-related conflicts, information and education, funding, research, hybrid and captive wolves, and future plan revisions.
"We are very pleased with the product the roundtable has developed," said Bill Moritz, DNR Wildlife Division chief. "Many of the groups represented on the roundtable have divergent perspectives on wolf management, yet they made a significant commitment to come together, discuss the issues, and craft useful recommendations for the DNR."
The DNR will review and integrate the roundtable recommendations as it revises its wolf management plan. Release of a draft revised plan for public comment is planned for spring 2007.
The plan revision will be conducted in anticipation of a change in federal status. Wolves in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan have exceeded recovery criteria for several years, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has proposed removing wolves in the western Great Lakes region, including Michigan, from the federal list of threatened and endangered species.
Topic: Michigan DNR Wolf Management Report (Read 998 times)
